Stacked coil for wireless charging structure on InFO package

ABSTRACT

A structure includes a first encapsulating layer, and a first coil in the first encapsulating layer. A top surface of the first encapsulating layer is coplanar with a top surface of the first coil, and a bottom surface of the first encapsulating layer is coplanar with a bottom surface of the first coil. A second encapsulating layer is over the first encapsulating layer. A conductive via is in the second encapsulating layer, and the first conductive via is electrically coupled to the first coil. A third encapsulating layer is over the second encapsulating layer. A second coil is in the third encapsulating layer. A top surface of the third encapsulating layer is coplanar with a top surface of the second coil, and a bottom surface of the third encapsulating layer is coplanar with a bottom surface of the second coil.

PRIORITY CLAIM AND CROSS-REFERENCE

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/342,320, filed May 27, 2016 entitled, “Stacking Coil for WirelessCharging Structure on InFO Package” which application is herebyincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Wireless charging has become an increasingly popular chargingtechnology. Wireless charging is sometimes known as inductive charging,which uses an electromagnetic field to transfer power between a powertransmitter and a power receiver. The power is sent through inductivecoupling to an electrical device, which can then use that power tocharge batteries or run the device. Induction chargers use a firstinduction coil to create an alternating electromagnetic field from thetransmitter and a second induction coil to receive the power from theelectromagnetic field. The second induction coil converts the power backinto electric current, which is then used to charge a battery ordirectly drive electrical devices. The two induction coils, whenproximal to each other, form an electrical transformer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the followingdetailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It isnoted that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry,various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of thevarious features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity ofdiscussion.

FIGS. 1A through 1D illustrate a top view, a schematic, andcross-sectional views of a coil module in accordance with someembodiments.

FIGS. 2A through 2E illustrate a perspective view, a top view, aschematic, and cross-sectional views of a coil module in accordance withsome embodiments.

FIGS. 3A through 3F illustrate a top view, a schematic, andcross-sectional views of a coil module in accordance with someembodiments.

FIGS. 4A through 19B illustrate the cross-sectional views ofintermediate stages in the formation of a coil module in accordance withsome embodiments.

FIGS. 20A, 20B, and 20C illustrate the circuit diagrams of wirelesscharging circuits in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 21 illustrates an amplified view of a portion of a coil inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 22 illustrates a process flow for forming a coil module inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 23A and 23B illustrate the perspective views of coil modules inaccordance with some embodiments, wherein the coils in different layersof a coil module are rotated relative to each other.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, orexamples, for implementing different features of the invention. Specificexamples of components and arrangements are described below to simplifythe present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and arenot intended to be limiting. For example, the formation of a firstfeature over or on a second feature in the description that follows mayinclude embodiments in which the first and second features are formed indirect contact, and may also include embodiments in which additionalfeatures may be formed between the first and second features, such thatthe first and second features may not be in direct contact. In addition,the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters inthe various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicityand clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between thevarious embodiments and/or configurations discussed.

Further, spatially relative terms, such as “underlying,” “below,”“lower,” “overlying,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for easeof description to describe one element or feature's relationship toanother element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Thespatially relative terms are intended to encompass differentorientations of the device in use or operation in addition to theorientation depicted in the figures. The apparatus may be otherwiseoriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatiallyrelative descriptors used herein may likewise be interpretedaccordingly.

Coil modules and the methods of forming the same are provided inaccordance with various exemplary embodiments. The intermediate stagesof forming the coil modules are illustrated in accordance with someembodiments. Some variations of some embodiments are discussed.Throughout the various views and illustrative embodiments, likereference numbers are used to designate like elements.

FIG. 1A illustrates a top view of coil module 101, which includes coil100 built therein. In accordance with some embodiments of the presentdisclosure. Coil 100 is formed in a plurality of encapsulating layers102, 104, 106, 108, and 110, as shown in FIGS. 1C and 1D.

Referring to FIG. 1B, which illustrates a schematic of coil 100 inaccordance with some embodiments, coil 100 includes coils 112, 114, and116 connected in parallel. Coils 112, 114, and 116 have terminals CA1,CA2, and CA3, respectively. Furthermore, Coils 112, 114, and 116 haveterminals connected together to form common terminal CB. In accordancewith some embodiments of the present disclosure, terminal CB is anelectrical ground node, which is connected to electrical ground whencoil 100 is used to form integrated circuits such as the wirelesscharging circuits shown in FIGS. 20A, 20B, and 20C.

In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, coils112, 114, and 116 form spirals, wherein the outer ends are terminalsCA1, CA2, and CA3, and the inner ends are connected together to formcommon terminal CB. In accordance with alternative embodiments (notshown), the outer ends of coils 112, 114, and 116 are interconnected toform common terminal CB, while the inner ends are terminals CA1, CA2,and CA3.

FIG. 1C illustrates a cross-sectional view of coil module 101, whereinthe cross-sectional view is obtained from a plane containing line 1C-1Cin FIG. 1A. As shown in FIG. 1C, coils 116, 114, and 112 are formed inencapsulating layer 110, 106, and 102, respectively. Each of coils 116,114, and 112 has a long side in the illustrated plane. Since coils 112and 114 are formed in lower encapsulating layers, vias 122, 124, 126,and 128 and through-molding vias 134, 136, 138, and 140 (which are alsoreferred to as metal posts) are formed to connect coils 112 and 114 tothe top surface of the coil module 101. Electrical connectors 142, 144,and 146 are formed at the top surface of coil module 101, and may act asterminals CA1, CA2, and CA3, respectively. Electrical connectors 142,144, and 146 may be Under-Bump Metallurgies (UBMs), metal pads, metalpillars, or the like, and may or may not include solder regions.

In accordance with some embodiments, encapsulating layers 102, 104, 106,108, and 110 are formed of molding compounds, molding underfills,epoxies, resins, or the like. Dielectric layers 152, 154, 156, and 158are formed to separate the encapsulating layers from each other, whereinvias 122, 124, 126, and 128 are formed in dielectric layers 152, 154,156, and 158 for electrical interconnection.

FIG. 1D illustrates a cross-sectional view of coil module 101, whereinthe cross-sectional view is obtained from a plane containing line 1D-1Din FIG. 1A. The cross-sectional view passes through common terminal CBand some sides of coils 112, 114, and 116. In accordance with someembodiments, electrical connector 148 acts as, or is connected to, thecommon terminal CB. Furthermore, electrical connector 148 is connectedto a plurality of through-molding vias and vias in dielectric layers,which connect coils 112, 114, and 116 to common terminal CB.

FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C illustrate a perspective view, a top view, and aschematic of coil module 101 in accordance with some embodiments. Coil100 in accordance with these embodiments are built similar to coil 100in FIGS. 1A through 1D, except coils 112, 114, and 116 are connectedserially to form coil 100. Referring to FIG. 2A, coil 112, 114, and 116are formed in encapsulating layers 102, 106, and 110, respectively. Theouter end 116A of coil 116 is connected to the outer end 114A of coil114 through vertical connection line 162A, which includes two vias and athrough-molding via. The inner end 114B of coil 114 is connected toinner end 112B of coil 112 through vertical connection line 162B. Theouter end of coil 112 is connected to the top of coil module 101 throughvertical connection line 162C, which includes a plurality of vias andthrough-molding vias as shown in FIG. 2D. The inner end 116A isconnected to (or act as) terminal CB of coil 100, and the top end ofconnection line 162C is connected to (or act as) terminal CA of coil100.

FIG. 2B illustrate a top view of coil module 101, wherein terminals CAand CB are illustrated. Coil 116 overlaps coil 114, which furtheroverlaps coil 112. FIG. 2C illustrates a schematic of coil 100, whichincludes coils 112, 114, and 116 connected serially with a head-to-endpattern.

FIG. 2D illustrates a cross-sectional view of coil module 101, whereinthe cross-sectional view is obtained from a plane containing line 2D-2Din FIG. 2A. The cross-sectional view passes through common terminal CAand some sides of coils 112, 114, and 116. Electrical connections 162Aand 162C (also refer to FIG. 2A) are also shown in the illustratedplane.

FIG. 2E illustrates a cross-sectional view of coil module 101, whereinthe cross-sectional view is obtained from a plane containing line 2E-2Ein FIG. 2A. The cross-sectional view passes through common terminal CB,and is in a direction perpendicular to some sides of coils 112, 114, and116. Electrical connection 162B (also refer to FIG. 2A) is also shown inthe illustrated plane.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, and FIGS. 3C through 3F illustrate a top view, aschematic, and cross-sectional views of coil module 101 in accordancewith some embodiments. Coil 100 in accordance with these embodiments arebuilt similar to coil 100 as shown in FIGS. 1A through 1D, except coils112, 114, and 116 are disconnected from each other. The integration ofcoils 112, 114, and 116 are performed by integrated circuits as shown inFIGS. 20A, 20B, and 20C.

As shown in FIG. 3B, coil 100 includes independent coils 116, 114, and112 that have no interconnections. Coil 116 has terminals CA1 and CB1.Coil 114 includes terminals CA2 and CB2. Coil 112 includes terminals CA3and CB3. As shown in FIG. 3A, coil 116 may overlap coil 114, whichfurther overlaps coil 112.

FIG. 3C illustrates a cross-sectional view of coil module 101, whereinthe cross-sectional view is obtained from a plane containing line 3C-3Cin FIG. 3A. The cross-sectional view passes through terminals CA1, CA2,and CA3, and extends in a direction parallel to (and cuts into) a longside of each of coils 112, 114, and 116. As shown in FIG. 3C, each ofcoils 112, 114, and 116 is connected to one of terminals CA1, CA2, andCA3 in the illustrated plane.

FIG. 3D illustrates a cross-sectional view of coil module 101, whereinthe cross-sectional view is obtained from a plane containing line 3D-3Din FIG. 3A. The cross-sectional view passes through terminal CB3, and isin a direction perpendicular to (and cuts into) the long sides of eachof coils 112, 114, and 116. As shown in FIG. 3D, coil 112 is connectedto terminals CB3 through a plurality of vias (in dielectric layers) andthrough-molding vias.

FIG. 3E illustrates a cross-sectional view of coil module 101, whereinthe cross-sectional view is obtained from a plane containing line 3E-3Ein FIG. 3A. The cross-sectional view passes through terminal CB2, andextends in a direction perpendicular to (and cuts into) the long sidesof each of coils 112, 114, and 116. As shown in FIG. 3E, coil 114 isconnected to terminals CB2 through a plurality of vias andthrough-molding vias.

FIG. 3F illustrates a cross-sectional view of coil module 101, whereinthe cross-sectional view is obtained from a plane containing line 3F-3Fin FIG. 3A. The cross-sectional view passes through terminal CB1, and isin a direction perpendicular to (and cuts into) the long side of each ofcoils 112, 114, and 116. As shown in FIG. 3F, coil 116 is connected toterminals CB1 through a plurality of vias in dielectric layers andthrough-molding vias.

FIGS. 23A and 23B illustrate the perspective view of coil modules 101 inaccordance with some embodiments, wherein coils 116 overlaps coils 112and 114, while at least one of coils 112 and 114 is rotated relative toothers. Referring to FIG. 23A, coil module 101 includes coils 112, 114,and 116, wherein coil 114 overlaps coil 112, and coil 116 overlaps coil114. In accordance with some embodiments, each of coils 112, 114, and116 has a rectangular shape. The sides (the metal lines) of coils 112and 116 are parallel to the X direction or Y direction, which areperpendicular to each other. The sides of coil 114, however, are neitherparallel to nor perpendicular to, the X direction and Y direction.Accordingly, it can be viewed that the sides of coil 114 is rotatedrelative to the X direction and the Y direction (and the directions ofcoils 112 and 116) by an angle between (and not including) 0 degrees and90 degrees.

FIG. 23B illustrates a perspective view of coil module 101 in accordancewith some embodiments. The sides of one of coils 112, 114, and 116 (forexample, coil 116 as illustrated) are parallel to the X direction or Ydirection, which are perpendicular to each other. Neither one of coils112 and 114 have sides parallel to or perpendicular to the X directionor the Y direction. Accordingly, each of coils 112, 114, and 116 isrotated relative to other coils in coils 112, 114, and 116 by an anglebetween (and not including) 0 degrees and 90 degrees.

The connections of coils 112, 114, and 116 are not shown in FIGS. 23Aand 23B. The connections of coils 112, 114, and 116 in each of FIGS. 23Aand 23B may be any one shown in FIGS. 1B, 2C, and 3B.

FIG. 20A illustrates the circuit diagram of an exemplary wirelesscharging circuit 300 including the coil 100 as shown in FIGS. 1A through1D and FIGS. 23A and 23B in accordance with some embodiments. Wirelesscharging circuit 300 includes power-transmitting circuit 302 fortransmitting power, and power-receiving circuit 304 for receiving power.Power-transmitting circuit 302 includes AC adapter 306, Micro-ControlUnit (MCU) and Bluetooth circuit 308, power-transmitting (TX) coil 310,and Bluetooth signal antenna 312. Power-receiving circuit 304 includesBluetooth signal antenna 314, power-receiving coil 100, matching circuit316, charging Integrated Circuit (IC) 318, Bluetooth die 320, PowerManagement Integrated Circuit (PMIC) 322, System Circuits 324, andbattery 326. It is appreciated that the illustrated wireless chargingcircuits are examples, and all other wireless charging circuits havingdifferent design are within the scope of the present disclosure.

In accordance with some exemplary embodiments, Ac adapter 306 providespower to power-transmitting (TX) coil 310. MCU and Bluetooth circuit 308may negotiate with Bluetooth circuit 320, for example, to determine thepower and the timing of the power transmission, Bluetooth signals forthe negotiation are sent and received through antennas 312 and 314. Forexample, through the negotiation, wireless power may be sent when thedistance between power-transmitting circuit 302 and power-receivingcircuit 304 is small enough, and/or when the stored power in battery 326is lower than a pre-determined threshold level.

When it is determined that power should be transmitted,power-transmitting circuit 302 starts transmitting power, which may bein the form of magnetic field at a high frequency, for example, at about6.78 MHz. The power is transmitted through coil 310. Coil 100 receivesthe power, and feed the respective current to charging IC 318, whichincludes an AC-DC converter. PMIC 322 may have the function of DC to DCconversion, battery charging, linear regulation, power sequencing andother miscellaneous system power functions. System circuits 324 handlelogic functions. The converted power is charged to battery 326.

As shown in FIG. 20A, coil 100 may have the structure as shown in FIGS.1A through 1D, which includes four terminals CA1, CA2, CA3, and commonterminal CB, which are connected to matching circuit 316 in accordancewith some embodiments. The power provided by coils 112, 114, and 116 arecombined by matching circuit 316 and charging IC 318. Accordingly, coils112, 114, and 116 act like a single coil.

FIG. 20B illustrates the circuit diagram of an exemplary wirelesscharging circuit 300 using the coil 100 as shown in FIGS. 2A through 2Ein accordance with some embodiments. The coil 100 as shown in FIG. 20Bincludes the serially connected coils 112, 114, and 116 as shown in FIG.2C. The function of coil 100 is similar to what is shown in FIG. 20A,and hence are not repeated herein.

FIG. 20C illustrates the circuit diagram of an exemplary wirelesscharging circuit 300 using the coil 100 as shown in FIGS. 3A through 3Fin accordance with some embodiments. The coil 100 as shown in FIG. 20Cincludes the three discrete coils 112, 114, and 116 as shown in FIG. 3B.The function of coil 100 is similar to what is shown in FIG. 20A, andhence are not repeated herein. The power received by the discrete coils112, 114, and 116 are combined by matching circuit 316 and/or chargingIC 318. Accordingly, coils 112, 114, and 116 act like a single coil.

FIGS. 4A through 19B illustrate the cross-sectional view of intermediatestages in the formation of coil module 101 in accordance with someexemplary embodiments. The respective formation steps are alsoillustrated in the process flow 200 as show in FIG. 22. The exampleformation process illustrated in FIGS. 4A through 19B use theembodiments in FIGS. 1A through 1D as an example to explain theformation process. The embodiments shown in FIGS. 2A through 2E andFIGS. 3A through 3F may be formed using essentially the same processesexcept the layouts of coils 100 in these embodiments are changed. Ineach illustrated step, two cross-sectional views are shown, wherein thecross-sectional view having the figure number including letter “A”following a digit(s) is obtained from the same vertical plane of line1C-1C in FIG. 1A, and the cross-sectional view having the figure numberincluding letter “B” following a digit(s) is obtained from the samevertical plane containing line 1D-1D in FIG. 1A.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate carrier 20 and dielectric layer 22 formedover carrier 20. Carrier 20 may be a glass carrier, a ceramic carrier,or the like. Carrier 20 may have a round top-view shape, and may have asize of a silicon wafer. There may be a release layer (not shown) overcarrier 20, wherein the release layer may be formed of Light To HeatConversion (LTHC) coating. The LTHC coating may be removed along withcarrier 20 from the overlying structures that will be formed insubsequent steps.

In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure,dielectric layer 22 is formed over the release layer. The respectivestep is shown as step 202 in the process flow shown in FIG. 22. In thefinal product, dielectric layer 22 may be used as a passivation layer toisolate the overlying metallic features from the adverse effect ofmoisture and other detrimental substances. Dielectric layer 22 may beformed of a polymer, which may also be a photo-sensitive material suchas polybenzoxazole (PBO), polyimide, benzocyclobutene (BCB), or thelike. In accordance with alternative embodiments of the presentdisclosure, dielectric layer 22 is formed of an inorganic material(s),which may be a nitride such as silicon nitride, an oxide such as siliconoxide, PhosphoSilicate Glass (PSG), BoroSilicate Glass (BSG),Boron-doped PhosphoSilicate Glass (BPSG), or the like.

Seed layer 24 is formed over dielectric layer 22, for example, throughPhysical Vapor Deposition (PVD). Seed layer 24 may be formed of copper,aluminum, titanium, or multi-layers thereof. In accordance with someembodiments of the present disclosure, seed layer 24 includes a titaniumlayer (not separately shown) and a copper layer (not separately shown)over the titanium layer. In accordance with alternative embodiments,seed layer 24 includes a single copper layer. Photo resist 26 is formedover seed layer 24, and is patterned to from openings 28. The respectivestep is shown as step 204 in the process flow shown in FIG. 22. In a topview of FIGS. 4A and 4B, openings 28 forms a spiral.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate the formation of coil 112, which includesplating a metallic material in openings 28 (FIGS. 4A and 4B) and overseed layer 24. The respective step is shown as step 206 in the processflow shown in FIG. 22. Coil 112 may include copper, aluminum, tungsten,nickel, or alloys thereof. After the plating of coil 112, photo resist26 is removed, and the resulting structure is shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B.The portions of seed layer 24 (FIG. 2) that were previously covered byphoto resist 26 are exposed. An etch step is then performed to removethe exposed portions of seed layer 24, wherein the etching may be ananisotropic or isotropic etching. The portions of seed layer 24 that areoverlapped by coil 112, on the other hand, are not etched. Throughoutthe description, the remaining underlying portions of seed layer 24 areconsidered as being the bottom portions of coil 112. When seed layer 24is formed of a material similar to or the same as that of the respectiveoverlying coil 112, seed layer 24 may be merged with coil 112 with nodistinguishable interface therebetween. Accordingly, seed layers 24 arenot shown in subsequent drawings. In accordance with alternativeembodiments of the present disclosure, there exist distinguishableinterfaces between seed layer 24 and the overlying plated portions ofcoil 112.

Next, referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, encapsulating material (layer) 102is encapsulated (sometimes referred to as molded) on coil 112. Therespective step is shown as step 208 in the process flow shown in FIG.22. Encapsulating material 102 fills the gaps between neighboringportions of coil 112. Encapsulating material 102 may include apolymer-based material, and may include a molding compound, a moldingunderfill, an epoxy, and/or a resin. The top surface of encapsulatingmaterial 102 is higher than the top ends of coil 112. Encapsulatingmaterial 102 may include an epoxy-based material and fillers in theepoxy-based material. The fillers may be spherical particles having thesame diameter or different diameters. The fillers may be formed ofsilica (amorphous SiO₂), dry-ground micritic limestone, for example.

In a subsequent step, a planarization process such as a ChemicalMechanical Polish (CMP) process or a mechanical grinding process isperformed to reduce the top surface of encapsulating material 102, untilcoil 112 is exposed. The respective step is also shown as step 208 inthe process flow shown in FIG. 22. Due to the planarization, the topends of coil 112 are substantially level (coplanar) with the topsurfaces of encapsulating material 102. In accordance with someembodiments, after the planarization, height H1 (FIG. 6B) of coil 112 isin the range between about 100 μm and about 150 μm, and width W1 of coil112 is in the range between about 100 μm and about 400 μm. The ratio ofwidth W1/H1 may be in the range between about ⅔ and about 4.0.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate the formation of dielectric layer 152 andvias 122 in dielectric layer 152 in accordance with some exemplaryembodiments. The respective step is shown as step 210 in the processflow shown in FIG. 22. In accordance with alternative embodiments, vias122, rather than being formed before the formation of through-moldingvias 134 (FIGS. 9A and 9B), are formed in the same process asthrough-molding vias 134. In accordance with some embodiments of thepresent disclosure, dielectric layer 152 comprises an organic dielectricmaterial, which may be a polymer such as PBO, polyimide, BCB, or thelike. In accordance with alternative embodiments, dielectric layer 152is formed of an inorganic dielectric material such as silicon oxide,silicon nitride, silicon carbide, or the like. Vias 122 are formed indielectric layer 152, for example, wherein the formation process mayinclude forming openings in dielectric layer 152 to expose coil 112, andthen plating a metal in the openings. Vias 122 may be formed of copper,aluminum, silver, nickel, tungsten, or alloys thereof.

FIGS. 8A through 9B illustrate the formation of separation dielectriclayers and the through-molding vias therein. Referring to FIGS. 8A and8B, seed layer 30 is formed over dielectric layer 152 and vias 122. Seedlayer 30 may be formed of a material similar to the material of seedlayer 24 (FIGS. 4A and 4B), and may be formed using PVD, for example.Photo resist 32 is formed over seed layer 30, and is then patterned toform openings 34. The respective step is shown as step 212 in theprocess flow shown in FIG. 22. Next, a plating process is performed toplate through-molding vias 134, followed by removing photo resist 32,and etching the exposed portions of seed layer 30. The respective stepis shown as step 214 in the process flow shown in FIG. 22. The resultingstructure is shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B.

In accordance with alternative embodiments of the present disclosure,vias 122 and through-molding vias 134 are formed in a same process,which includes forming openings in dielectric layer 152, forming a seedlayer having a portion over dielectric layer 152 and portions extendinginto the openings, forming and patterning photo resist 32, plating toform vias 122 and through-molding vias 134, removing photo resist 32,and etching the seed layer.

In subsequent steps, the process steps as shown in the process flow inFIG. 22 may be repeated to form overlying structures, wherein some ofsteps 204, 206, 208, 210, 212, 214, and 216 may be repeated. FIGS. 10Aand 10B illustrate the encapsulation of through-molding vias 134 inencapsulating material 104, and the planarization of encapsulatingmaterial 104 and through-molding vias 134. The respective step is shownas step 216 in the process flow shown in FIG. 22. The material and theformation method of encapsulating material 104 are similar to that ofencapsulating material 102. Encapsulating material 104 has the functionof enlarging the distance between coils 112 and the overlying coil 114great enough in order to reduce the interference between coils 112 and114.

FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate the formation of dielectric layer 154 andvias 124 in dielectric layer 154 in accordance with some exemplaryembodiments. The formation processes and the materials of dielectriclayer 154 and vias 124 may be selected from the same candidate formationmethods and same materials of dielectric layer 152 and vias 122,respectively, and the details are not repeated herein.

The subsequent process steps as shown in FIGS. 12A through 18B may adoptthe similar methods and materials for forming coils, vias,through-molding vias, dialectic layers, and encapsulating materials asthe similar underlying features shown in FIGS. 4A through 10B. Thedetails of the methods and materials may be found referring to thediscussion of FIGS. 4A through 10B, and may not be repeated.

As shown in FIGS. 12A through 13B, coil 114 is formed. Referring toFIGS. 12A and 12B, Seed layer 36 is formed. Photo resist 38 is appliedover seed layer 36, and is then patterned, forming openings 40 therein.Referring to FIGS. 13A and 13B, coil 114 is formed, which is thenencapsulated in encapsulating material 106 as shown in FIGS. 14A and14B. FIGS. 15A and 15B illustrate the formation of dielectric layer 156,vias 126 in dielectric layer 156, and through-molding vias 138.Through-molding vias 138 are then encapsulated in encapsulating material108, followed by a planarization, as shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B. FIGS.17A and 17B illustrate the formation of coil 116.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 18A and 18B, coil 116 is encapsulated inencapsulating material 110, followed by a planarization to expose coil116. Dielectric layer 160 is then formed over coil 116 and encapsulatingmaterial 110. The respective step is shown as step 218 in the processflow shown in FIG. 22. Electrical connectors 142, 144, and 146 are thenformed, and act as terminals CA1, CA2, and CA3 of the respective coils116, 114, and 112, respectively. The respective step is shown as step220 in the process flow shown in FIG. 22. In the meanwhile, electricalconnector 148 is formed and acts as terminal CB. In a subsequent step,the structure over carrier 20 is de-bonded from carrier 20, and theresulting structure is shown in FIGS. 19A and 19B, respectively. It isappreciated that although FIGS. 1C, 1D, 2D, 2E, and 3C-3F do not showlayer 22, there may be layer 22 underneath coil 112 in accordance withsome embodiments.

When the illustrated coil 100 in FIGS. 19A and 19B is formed, aplurality of coils 100 is formed simultaneously. After the formation ofthe structure as shown in FIGS. 19A and 19B, a die-saw is performed toseparate the structure in FIGS. 19A and 19B into a plurality of discretecoil modules 101, each having the structure shown in FIG. 1A through 1D,2A through 2E, or 3A through 3F. The respective step is shown as step222 in the process flow shown in FIG. 22. Referring to FIG. 1A, in theresulting coil module 101, length L1 of coil 100 may be in the rangebetween about 50% and about 99% of length L2 of coil module 101. WidthW2 of coil 100 may be in the range between about 50% and about 99% ofwidth W3 of coil modules 101. The shortest length L3 of coil 100 isabout 30% to about 70% of length L2. The occupied area of coil 100(including the central area surrounded by coil 33) may be between about25% and about 98% of the top-view area of coil modules 101. Thedimensions and areas of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2B and 3A may besimilar to what are shown in FIG. 1A. In accordance with someembodiments, coil module 101 is a discrete module, wherein there are noactive devices (such as transistors and diodes) and additional passivedevices (such as resistors, capacitors, transmitters, etc.) in additionto coil 100.

FIG. 21 illustrates an amplified view of portion 50 of coil 100 in FIG.1A, wherein two corner portions of coils 112, 114, and 116 areillustrated as an example. To reduce stress, coils 112, 114, and 116 mayhave rounded corners. For example, the radius R1 of coils 112, 114, and116 may be in the range between about W1/2 and 2W1/3.

To enhance the efficiency, the outer portions of coil 100 may havewidths greater than or equal to the width of the widths of the innerportions in accordance with some embodiments. For example, referring toFIG. 1A, width W1A, which may be the width of the outmost coil portion,may be equal to or greater than width W1B of the innermost coil portion.Ratio W1B/W1A may be in the range between about ½ and about ⅔.Furthermore, from outer portions to the inner portions, the widths ofcoil 100 may be increasingly reduced or periodically reduced everyseveral turns of spirals. FIGS. 2B and 3A, although not shown, may alsohave rounded corners and changed widths.

The embodiments of the present disclosure have some advantageousfeatures. By forming coils in encapsulating materials, the thickness ofeach of the coil may be great enough, and hence power dissipation isreduced. By forming multiple coils in multiple layers of encapsulatingmaterials and connecting the coils, the electrical coupling is improved.In addition, the footage of the coils is small due to the stacking ofcoils.

In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, astructure includes a first encapsulating layer, and a first coil in thefirst encapsulating layer. A top surface of the first encapsulatinglayer is coplanar with a top surface of the first coil, and a bottomsurface of the first encapsulating layer is coplanar with a bottomsurface of the first coil. A second encapsulating layer is over thefirst encapsulating layer. A conductive via is in the secondencapsulating layer, and the first conductive via is electricallycoupled to the first coil. A third encapsulating layer is over thesecond encapsulating layer. A second coil is in the third encapsulatinglayer. A top surface of the third encapsulating layer is coplanar with atop surface of the second coil, and a bottom surface of the thirdencapsulating layer is coplanar with a bottom surface of the secondcoil.

In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, astructure includes a first molding compound, a second molding compoundover the first molding compound, a third molding compound over thesecond molding compound, a fourth molding compound over the thirdmolding compound, and a fifth molding compound over the fourth moldingcompound. A first coil is in the first molding compound. A second coilis in the third molding compound. A third coil is in the fifth moldingcompound, and no coil is formed in the second molding compound and thefourth molding compound.

In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a methodincludes forming a first coil over a carrier, encapsulating the firstcoil in a first encapsulating layer, forming a first dielectric layerover the first coil and the first encapsulating layer, forming a metalpost over the first dielectric layer, encapsulating the first metal postin a second encapsulating layer, forming a second dielectric layer overthe first metal post and the second encapsulating layer, forming asecond coil over the second dielectric layer, encapsulating the secondcoil in a third encapsulating layer, and forming electrical connectorsconnecting to the first coil and the second coil.

The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that thoseskilled in the art may better understand the aspects of the presentdisclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they mayreadily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifyingother processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/orachieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein.Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalentconstructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure, and that they may make various changes, substitutions, andalterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A structure comprising: a first encapsulatinglayer; a first coil in the first encapsulating layer, wherein a topsurface of the first encapsulating layer is coplanar with a top surfaceof the first coil, and a bottom surface of the first encapsulating layeris coplanar with a bottom surface of the first coil; a secondencapsulating layer over the first encapsulating layer, wherein thesecond encapsulating layer comprises: a first sub-layer formed of afirst dielectric material; a second sub-layer over the first sub-layer;and a third sub-layer over the second sub-layer, wherein the firstsub-layer and the third sub-layer are formed of dielectric materialsdifferent from a dielectric material of the second sub-layer; a firstconductive via in the second encapsulating layer, wherein the firstconductive via is electrically coupled to the first coil; a thirdencapsulating layer over the second encapsulating layer; and a secondcoil in the third encapsulating layer, wherein a top surface of thethird encapsulating layer is coplanar with a top surface of the secondcoil, and a bottom surface of the third encapsulating layer is coplanarwith a bottom surface of the second coil.
 2. The structure of claim 1,wherein each of the first encapsulating layer, the second encapsulatinglayer, and the third encapsulating layer comprises a base material andfillers in the base material.
 3. The structure of claim 1, wherein thefirst coil is serially connected to the second coil.
 4. The structure ofclaim 1, wherein the first coil is electrically connected to the secondcoil in parallel.
 5. The structure of claim 1, wherein the first coil isdisconnected from the second coil, and the structure further comprises asecond conductive via in the third encapsulating layer, wherein thesecond conductive via is electrically connected to the first coil. 6.The structure of claim 1, wherein a lengthwise direction of elongatedportions of the first coil is neither parallel nor perpendicular to alengthwise direction of elongated portions of the second coil.
 7. Thestructure of claim 1, wherein the second coil overlaps the first coil,and a first one of the first coil and the second coil is rotatedrelative to a second one of the first coil and the second coil.
 8. Thestructure of claim 1, wherein the first coil and the second coil arecomprised in a discrete coil module, with no additional active deviceand passive device located in the discrete coil module.
 9. The structureof claim 1, wherein the first coil and the second coil have roundedcorners.
 10. A structure comprising: a first molding compound; a secondmolding compound over the first molding compound; a third moldingcompound over the second molding compound; a fourth molding compoundover the third molding compound; a fifth molding compound over thefourth molding compound; a first coil in the first molding compound; asecond coil in the third molding compound; a third coil in the fifthmolding compound, wherein no coil is formed in the second moldingcompound and the fourth molding compound; a top electrode over the fifthmolding compound; and a first via, a second via, a third via, and afourth via in the second molding compound, the third molding compound,the fourth molding compound, and the fifth molding compound,respectively, wherein the first via, the second via, the third via, andthe fourth via electrically connect the first coil to the top electrode.11. The structure of claim 10, wherein the first via, the second via,the third via, and the fourth via are vertically aligned to the topelectrode.
 12. The structure of claim 10, wherein the first moldingcompound has a top surface and a bottom surface coplanar with a topsurface and a bottom surface, respectively, of the first coil.
 13. Thestructure of claim 10, wherein the second coil overlaps the first coil,and the third coil overlaps the second coil.
 14. The structure of claim10, wherein the first coil, the second coil, and the third coil areelectrically disconnected from each other.
 15. The structure of claim10, wherein the first coil, the second coil, and the third coil have acommon terminal, and additional terminals of the first coil, the secondcoil, and the third coil are disconnected from each other.
 16. Astructure comprising: a first plurality of molding compound layers,wherein each of the first plurality of molding compound layers comprisesan epoxy-based material, and filler particles in the epoxy-basedmaterial; a plurality of dielectric layers separating the firstplurality of molding compound layers from each other; and a plurality ofcoils, each in one of the first plurality of molding compound layers,wherein the plurality of coils are electrically connected together. 17.The structure of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of dielectriclayers comprises: a first sub-layer formed of a first dielectricmaterial; a second sub-layer over the first sub-layer; and a thirdsub-layer over the second sub-layer, wherein the first sub-layer and thethird sub-layer are formed of dielectric materials different from adielectric material of the second sub-layer.
 18. The structure of claim16 further comprising: a second plurality of molding compound layersstacked with the a first plurality of molding compound layers; and aplurality of vias, each in one of the second plurality of moldingcompound layers, wherein the plurality of vias interconnect theplurality of coils.
 19. The structure of claim 16, wherein the firstplurality of molding compound layers are formed of materials differentfrom materials of the plurality of dielectric layers.
 20. The structureof claim 16, wherein the plurality of dielectric layers are formed ofpolymers.